When the Indian hockey teams head into the Asian Games, the expectations will be sky-high. And, really, there is little surprise in that.
The Indian men’s team have been the dominant force in Asian hockey for quite some time, and the record backs it up. They have won four Asian Games gold medals, four Asia Cup titles and five Asian Champions Trophy crowns.
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At the last edition of the Asia Cup, India were held to a draw once, but otherwise dominated their Asian opponents and went on to lift the title.
The women’s team, meanwhile, have their own proud history in continental hockey. India won Asian Games gold in 1982 and have since added three Asian Champions Trophy titles to their trophy cabinet.
Their recent progress has also been encouraging. At the Women’s Hockey World Cup, Sjoerd Marijne’s side finished fifth and showed they could compete with some of the strongest teams in the world. That run included a draw against China, the silver medallists at the Paris Olympics and one of the dominant forces in Asian women’s hockey.
So, on paper, India head into the Asian Games with every reason to believe gold is within reach.
But the mood around Indian hockey has not been quite as straightforward.
The past few months have been dominated by an internal power struggle within Hockey India, while a saffron jersey controversy added to the noise just before the World Cup. On top of that, the future of the Hockey India League remains uncertain.
Suddenly, the Asian Games are about much more than medals.
India’s teams arrive as favourites, but also carrying the weight of expectation. For the men’s team in particular, anything short of gold could leave them facing uncomfortable questions.
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SHUTTING OUT THE NOISE
To understand how India should approach the Asian Games amid all the turbulence, there are few better people to ask than former India defender Viren Rasquinha.
Rasquinha believes the women’s team, in particular, have shown that they can rise above the uncertainty surrounding Indian hockey.
“The men’s team had a bit of a turbulent World Cup, but actually, when you talk about hockey, I like to talk about the wome. I thought the women had an excellent World Cup compared to previous editions.
But how do players shut out the noise when the sport around them is going through a turbulent phase?
For Rasquinha, the answer is simple. Dealing with distractions is part of the job when you represent Indian hockey. The focus, he says, has to remain firmly on what happens on the field.
“With all the administrative issues happening, yes, I think that is definitely a turbulent period,” said Rasquinha. “But as players, I think part of the skill sets required when you represent Indian hockey is to be able to really focus on what your job is as a player, and not be distracted by off-field events.”
That message could be particularly important for the men’s team.
India endured a disappointing World Cup, finishing eighth after failing to beat any of the higher-ranked teams. Their campaign was riddled with inconsistency, and they often looked short of the level expected from a side that carries such a heavy burden of expectation.
The Asian Games now offer an immediate opportunity to respond.
Rasquinha knows the stakes are high. India are expected to win gold, but one poor day can undo years of preparation, as the team discovered at the 2018 Asian Games.
“The men’s team have a lot to work on, because, the expectations are high. You’re right when saying that we are favorites for gold in men’s hockey. But at international sport, one bad day can really spoil things, as we saw in the 2018 Asian Games, when we had a bad day in the semi-finals and we lost,” said Rasquinha.
And this time, there is an added incentive beyond Asian supremacy.
The Asian Games also provide India with a direct route to Olympic qualification. Missing out would mean having to navigate the Olympic qualification process, where the pressure and uncertainty can quickly mount.
“We have to be really focused and execute really well. I think this is a golden chance for both teams to secure automatic Olympic qualification, and believe me, it makes such a huge difference in the preparation, because then you’re freed from the burden of going through the Olympic qualification process, which can get really bumpy, and full of tension and stress, and gives you less opportunity to try out new things, new variations, new systems, new players. But if you seal qualification now, it’s a major boost to our preparations for LA 28 Olympics.
BELIEF IN THE WOMEN’S SIDE
Not too long ago, calling India genuine contenders for women’s hockey gold at the Asian Games would have sounded ambitious.
The women’s team had enjoyed a historic run at the Tokyo Olympics, but their momentum faded afterwards. They missed out on qualification for Paris 2024 and went through another period of changes in the coaching and management set-up.
Now, there is a different feeling around the team.
Under Marijne, the Indian women appear revitalised, and their performance at the World Cup has given them something they desperately needed: belief.
China remain the benchmark in Asian women’s hockey. They won the Asian Games gold comfortably at the last edition and went on to claim silver at the Paris Olympics.
But India have narrowed the gap.
“If you ask me about the women’s team. I would say China were miles ahead at a point given that they won Asian Games gold very easily last time, and also they came second at the Paris Olympics and played marvelous hockey at Paris.”
“But I just thought that the Indian women’s team really surprised all of us. This time, they just played such good hockey.
The fighting spirit, team spirit, impressed me.”
“I would still say Indian women’s hockey team are not firm favorites, but it’s a 50-50 chance between India and China in women’s hockey,” said Rasquinha.
A significant part of that turnaround has come from the work done by Marijne to build unity within the group and raise the team’s physical standards.
The Dutch coach has also brought in Wayne Lombard, who has worked with some of India’s leading athletes, to strengthen the team’s sports science and conditioning programme.
“What Short Marjine has definitely done is just brought a lot of team unity. I think it’s done a great job of bringing the team together, fighting for each other, and I think Wayne Lombard and his team of sports science experts have done a fantastic job in the fitness and strength levels of the Indian women’s team.”
“I felt that they were able to join into attack, throw numbers. Everyone was coming back and defending as a team. For me, that was really impressive. So, a combination of factors for the women’s team doing really well,” said Rasquinha.
The challenge now is to ensure that the World Cup was not simply a high point, but the beginning of something bigger.
PRESSURE ON FULTON?
For several years, Craig Fulton’s position as India’s men’s coach appeared secure.
He had delivered an Olympic bronze medal, followed it up with Asian Games gold and added more continental success along the way. But the disappointing World Cup has inevitably changed the conversation.
Hockey India had previously shown little hesitation in making a coaching change after a poor World Cup campaign, with Graham Reid departing following India’s disappointing showing at the 2023 home World Cup.
So, does Fulton now face a similar level of scrutiny?
Rasquinha believes the pressure will be unavoidable if India fail to win gold.
“In terms of the men’s team, if we don’t win gold. I think it comes with the territory that there will be pressure. Like I said, we are expected to win gold. There’s no other Asian team in the top 10 in the world. We are defending Asian Games gold medal winners, so the nature of hockey or cricket in our country is that if we don’t win, it’s by nature of the job and expectations in our country that the coach, not just the coach, I think everyone in the team will be under pressure to maintain their places.
Having said that, I am confident they will win gold but they have to play far better than they did at the World Cup,” said Rasquinha.
That, ultimately, is the challenge facing India.
The Asian Games present an opportunity to silence the noise, secure direct Olympic qualification and restore some of the confidence lost during a difficult World Cup campaign.
For the women’s team, it is a chance to prove that their resurgence is real. For the men’s side, it is an opportunity to show that the World Cup was an aberration rather than a sign of a deeper problem.
When India step onto the field for the hockey competition, the expectations will be enormous.
Now, they have to make sure their performances are louder than the noise surrounding them.
– Ends
